


Safe in Our Arms

by chai_and_coffee



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Holidays, Kid fic!, Kid! Hunk, Kid! Keith, Kid! Lance, Kid! Pidge, Melinda Writes Fanfiction, Melinda does a write, Shallura as Parents, Team as Family, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, family fic, shallura - Freeform, small snippets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-07-18 01:08:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16107620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chai_and_coffee/pseuds/chai_and_coffee
Summary: Allura and Takashi Shirogane were experts at healing wounds and scars with soft kisses, hugs, and moments of appreciation. That’s why their odd family always worked. They had Hunk, who was ten, Lance, who was nine, Keith, who was eight, and their newest addition, Katie, who was six.(A series of small little snippets from the Shirogane household.)// A birthday gift for @littlespacestars! I'm so sorry that it's late! I hope you enjoy!





	Safe in Our Arms

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Littlespacestars](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littlespacestars/gifts).



It was no surprise that foster kids had a hard time adjusting to their new foster family. For one, there was always the possibility of being sent back. There also was the possibility that the foster parents weren’t always how they appeared. 

 

The first night is always the hardest. But as time goes on, if no new wounds are opened, then the child relaxes, falling into the parent’s touch. 

 

Allura and Takashi Shirogane were experts at healing wounds and scars with soft kisses, hugs, and moments of appreciation. That’s why their odd family always worked. They had Hunk, who was ten, Lance, who was nine, Keith, who was eight, and their newest addition, Katie, who was six. 

 

As soon as Allura and Shiro had met Katie, they had immediately known that the feisty little one was going to be the perfect addition to their growing family. 

 

** ~ **

 

 

But the first night was always the hardest, and Shiro could see the worry in his wife’s eyes as she quietly tucked Katie in. He gently squeezed her shoulders as a sign of reassurance as he came to stand next to her. 

 

He smiled down at the frightened child, noting that she looked even more like a cornered animal. 

 

“Hey, Pidge.” He said, his voice strong and soothing, and using the nickname he had generously bestowed when he had met her. It was a small allusion to the fact that she had looked like a little pigeon when he had first met her, flapping her arms and squawking indignantly. 

 

“Can Allura tell me a story?” Pidge asked with big eyes, and he chuckled softly. “Of course. Let me go grab a fuzzy blanket from downstairs, I find that it’s better to keep warm.” He said, before getting up and walking out of the room. He saw his wife stretch onto the bed, her eyes soft and her voice low before she disappeared out of view. 

 

When he came back, he knew the exact story Allura was telling Pidge. It was the same story that they first introduced to all of their kids, the one about how Shiro met Allura.

 

(It was a very popular story and widely requested in their household. Shiro knew every word.)

 

_Allura worked at a 60’s themed diner when she was in college. She was very good at her waitressing job, and actually enjoyed it, unlike any of her other friends. She was a favorite of the regulars, zooming around on her skates, with her honeyed voice and her cute pink dress with the white apron at the front._

 

_Of course, her silvery hair wasn’t part of the protocol, but given how nice it looked when curled and pinned up, no one really minded._

 

_It wasn’t the fact that she was an excellent waitress, it was how she genuinely cared about the diners. She knew everyone by name, anyone she didn’t know, she made an effort to know their name. She knew about the rough divorce the man who sat by the corner was going through, which is why she slipped him a slice of pie with every meal. She knew about the little boy who was waiting for a heart, and made sure to sneak him little candies when she could._

 

_There was an unspoken rule. When you stepped foot into the diner, your worries dissipated with one smile from Allura._

 

_This one day, however, things were completely hectic. Allura and her other waitresses on shift were zooming around as fast as the could while maintaining several plates of food. It was so busy that three of the waitresses were working overtime, and all the tables outside were completely occupied. Apparently the diner had taken off, and was attracting newcomers from the town’s convention._

 

_She was skidding around the corner, trying to pour coffee when she overshot and completely spilled scalding coffee onto a man’s shirt._

 

_She gasped, her eyes rounding. “Oh—my god, I’m so sorry, sir! I’m so sorry! Let—“ She reached across and grabbed a wad of napkins, hurriedly dabbing at the area.“I’m so sorry. If I get you to the back, I can remove the stain.”_

 

_The man seemed about her age, to be in college, and to Allura’s benefit, he smiled simply and allowed her to take him to the back (to the tittering laughs of her coworkers) and didn’t protest at all when she unbuttoned his shirt and set about hurriedly dabbing detergent on the spot._

 

_Of course, that wasn’t unusual. Takashi Shirogane was one of the calmer, more serene kids in college, and he really didn’t mind the fact that a super gorgeous waitress had dumped a pot of coffee on his shirt._

 

_He excused himself as soon as his shirt was cleaned, and Allura felt worse when he told her that he had an interview. But he smiled reassuringly and was off. She didn’t know his name, or anything, but she internally sent out good vibes to the universe to ensure that the guy got the job._

 

_A few days later, she was surprised by a smirking, “Remember me?”_

 

_And there he sat, the guy she had spilled coffee on, with an infuriating and adorable half-smile that really brought out the depths of his gray eyes. She got so lost momentarily in his eyes that she faltered, the coffee pot in her hand tipping dangerously._

 

_He neatly pulled it out of her hands and set it on the table, where unsuspecting diners would be safe from the horrors she wreaked with that pot. “Hey, hey, hey, as much as I enjoy you wanting to spill coffee on me, I’d rather you be sipping a cup with me, rather than burning me with it.” He said teasingly._

 

_Of course, the waitress was so startled that it took her a few minutes to realize that the man was asking her out._

 

“And the rest is history.” Allura finished. “Shiro took me out for coffee a few times, then a few times became a lot, and here we are.” She giggled at the little girl. Pidge had the same expression as her boys did, wondering and mystified and happy at such an ending. 

 

“And she never spilt coffee on me again. Thankfully.” Shiro rumbled from behind his wife, who smacked him playfully in the chest before turning to their little one.

 

“Ready to go to bed?” Allura asked softly. The little girl, now at ease, nodded, and closed her eyes. 

 

As they turned on the nightlight and gently closed the door behind them, Shiro turned to Allura.

 

“Do ever think that we’ll get tired of telling that story?” He asked her softly, gently taking her hand and leading her to their bedroom.

 

She was quiet, and answered only when she had slid into bed and nestled herself into his awaiting arms. “I don’t think so. I can imagine us, sitting on the porch with dozens of little ones by our feet, telling the same story.” She answered. 

 

The answer was more than enough for Shiro, who pressed a soft kiss to his wife’s forehead. “I love you.” He murmured.

 

“I’m happy that I spilled coffee on you, too.” She answered back, before whispering, “I love you too.”

 

** ~ **

 

Pidge called Shiro “Dad” first. Of course, it was to be expected. The little girl naturally gravitated to Shiro as her primary parent, while the boys had a tendency to cling to their mother’s skirts. 

 

That didn’t make it any less magical. The fact that a foster kid was so attached and ready to accept their parents as parents was an absolutely wonderful moment. 

 

Hunk had been easy, within the first three days, he was already calling Allura and Shiro ‘Mom and Dad’. 

 

Lance took a little bit more time, only about two weeks until calling out for “Mom!” when Allura had picked him up from school. Shiro was called “Dad!” that same evening, when the man had gleefully tickled his children on the couch.

 

Keith had taken the longest out of all the children. It had taken him three months to work up the nerve to call Shiro “Dad”, and took even longer to call Allura “Mom”. Nevertheless, the couple showered the shy little one with love and affection. 

 

(Shiro had cried when Keith had called him Dad. Allura still teased him about it to this day, despite the woman crying herself when the kiddo called her Mom.)

 

Now, it was a waiting game to see how long Katie took. There was no pressure, seeing how Allura and Shiro reacted in the same loving manner to their names being called to “Mom and Dad”,

 

Even the other kids didn’t put pressure on her. They themselves knew that it would take time for someone to accept someone else as parents, and took in their parents being called by their first names in stride. 

 

But it had been a Sunday afternoon, and the night before, Katie had crawled into Shiro and Allura’s bed to seek comfort from the thunder outside. 

 

The rain had stopped, and in its place, warm rays of sun shined down into the bedroom, coating the furniture and its inhabitants in a warm glow. 

 

Shiro was woken up by a soft little sensation on his face. He slowly opened his eyes to see Pidge curled up happily on his chest, her little fingertip extended outwards and tracing the planes of his face. She noted that he was awake, but simply traced the crease of his eyes, the scrunch of his nose, stifling a giggle when he pretended to bite at her finger. 

 

Once she was satisfied with having mapped out his features with her finger, she placed her small little palms on his cheeks and squished, whispering, “Hi Dad,” as to not wake up the snoring Allura who was snuggled into his side. 

 

His eyes widened with surprise for a fraction of a second, and he felt the joy burst in him, happy and bubbly and absolutely amazing. He smiled at her, and pressed a soft kiss to his daughter’s hair. “Hi, little one.” He murmured. 

 

** ~ **

 

With Allura, it had been the next day. The woman had been overjoyed that Katie had called Shiro first, and secretly had been on the lookout for her own calling. She didn’t treat Katie any differently, but she largely suspected that the little one was slightly intimidated by her. 

 

It had been the same way with Keith, who admitted her regality and appearance had intimidated him and made him hold off in believing that she was his mother. Shiro, despite being muscular and outfitted with a prosthetic, exuded a sort of warm comfort, a charm that immediately attracted to kids. 

 

Although Allura was the same way, sometimes, it took longer. Either way, kids curled up to her eventually. Like Keith, for instance. The same little one who used to hide behind Shiro’s legs now felt so confident to scramble up onto his mother’s lap and nestle against her. 

 

As a painter in her free time, Allura often got bursts of inspiration at the oddest times. Shiro was used to them, but he still grumbled that he lost his wife’s warmth only when he was sleeping. 

 

Today was no different. Allura was up at five in the morning, her brush gliding across the creamy canvas. She had a little studio, the corner-most room of the house. It was quite comfy, well lit, and her favorite paintings were hung up on the walls. 

 

One wall was very special. One wall had paintings of each of their family members. It had a painting of Shiro, a perfect rendition of how he had looked at her when he had proposed. That was a night that she would never forget, and she would never forget the swirling storm of affection she had found in his eyes. She had immortalized the look in her painting, but there was no need to. He looked at her like that every single minute of the day. 

 

It had a painting of Hunk, his eyes gleaming as a maestro’s would do, his lips pursed. Allura had managed to capture the focus, the loss of connection to the world as the little one cooked. The room also had a painting of Lance, Allura managing to show the mischief and adoration written completely on his face. Keith was also there, the little boy’s shyness and quiet love found within the depths of his dark eyes hidden behind his dark hair. 

 

Everyone in the family agreed that Allura was absolutely magical with the brush in her hand. 

 

The painting she was currently working on would soon be an addition to the wall. Allura heard a little scuffle of feet, and looked up. 

 

Pidge stood at the door, fuzzy blanket in hand. Since Shiro had given the fabric to her, the little girl had carried it around the house for comfort. Allura would be lying if she said that her heart didn’t melt at the sight.

 

“You’re up early.” Allura murmured. “You wanna paint?” She asked with a tilt of her head, gesturing to the blank canvasses and paints in the other corner of the room. 

 

Apparently the little one wasn’t too talkative when it was this early in the morning, and she shook her head and shuffled to where a little couch had been placed, curling up on the cushions. 

 

Allura let the little one be, and went back to her painting. About an hour passed with the only sounds being the soft strokes of the bristled brush on the canvas, the focus dedicated to the shapes she was creating.

 

“What’re you painting?” A tiny voice came from the couch, and Allura looked over. She stifled a laugh at the sight of the little girl being swathed in the fuzzy blanket, her head peeking out like a little burrito. 

 

“You wanna see?” Allura asked, and with the girl’s answering nod, she went over and scooped the burrito into her arms. 

 

She walked back to the painting, and heard the little one gasp in surprise. 

 

She had painted Katie, laughing. The painting rendition’s eyes were a perfect coloring of the little girl’s amber eyes. Allura had painted Katie’s tilted back, eyes sparkling in joy, hands extended out as if giving the viewer a hug. 

 

She heard a little sniffle and looked down at the little tears spilling out of the same honey eyes. 

 

“Oh, honey, why are you crying?” Allura asked, tucking the child’s head into the crook of her neck to provide comfort. 

 

“So—so pretty.” Pidge whispered, and Allura laughed. 

 

“Yes, and you’re so much prettier. Stop crying, silly goose.” She murmured, fondly wiping away all traces of tears with a gentle finger. 

 

“I’m not a goose, momma.” Pidge huffed, and the word made Allura stop her swaying motion for a second, her heart bursting. 

 

“Yes, you are. You’re momma’s silly goose.” Allura faintly whispered, and she barely heard the soft huff of appreciation from the little girl at the nickname with the overjoyed whooping in her head. 

 

** ~ **

 

Holidays were the best part of the Shirogane household. Allura would get up early and begin cooking, Hunk being her sous chef. The smell of food would waft through the house, coating the day in a joyful mood. 

 

The other kids had various tasks as well. 

 

This year, Lance was in charge of cleaning, seeing how the nine-year old was freakishly good at cleaning quickly and efficiently. Keith was in charge of actually wiping down surfaces and disinfecting everything, and making sure that Lance didn’t stuff things into a closet instead of actually putting it away. 

 

This year, Katie was in charge of selecting the designs on the cutlery, and setting up the table. 

 

And all the kids had one common job: to keep Shiro away from the kitchen, no matter what. The man had a habit of destroying or breaking something during the holiday season, and Allura had firmly decided that none of that was going to happen this year. So she had ordered her husband to go mow the lawn and make everything look pretty, and Shiro had grinned and given his wife a kiss before marching out to do his job. 

 

Since it was very hard to get the entire family together, they celebrated all the holidays in one day, sometime during the beginning of December. Lance called the holiday “Turkristears” since Allura made an assortment of dishes from all three holidays. 

 

Despite the fact that “Turkristears” was not definitively held on one particular day, that didn’t take away from the holiday spirit at all. After all, Allura was not surprised to see Lance, Keith, and Shiro wrestling outside in the grass. 

 

She wasn’t at all surprised, but that didn’t stop her from barking out a “BOYS! Go get cleaned up and dressed, right now!” 

 

The three sheepishly made their way in, accompanied by two “Sorry Mom”s and one “Sorry, ma’am.” 

 

Aside from that, the afternoon went off without a hitch. The kids were upstairs, getting dressed dutifully, and the now-clean and already-dressed Shiro snuck downstairs to bend his wife over the counter and steal a deep kiss from her, so that when she recovered, her cheeks pink and her eyes soft, she didn’t even notice that Shiro had been in her kitchen. 

 

(Luckily, the only thing he broke was her strong facade. The kids noted that their mother was unusually pink and giggly for the rest of the evening.)

 

The family was joined by Shiro’s parents, who were called Grandpa and Grandma lovingly. Allura’s parents used to join them, but it had been a few years since their passing. Allura felt a soft little pang of regret when she saw Takashi’s parents bonding with their newest addition to the family, and knew that her father and mother would have loved Katie as well. 

 

Of course, before she could get too sad, her cheeky husband playfully ran his fingers up her side, tickling her and causing her to squeal in laughter. 

 

Shiro’s sister also joined them, and this year, his sister brought her wife along. Both ladies were a welcome addition to the table, and had a marvelous time. 

 

Everyone complimented Allura generously on the meal, with Grandpa Shirogane going so far as to proclaim this meal as the best one he’d ever had. Of course, he did it every year, but it made the kids laugh and Allura press a kiss to her father-in-law’s cheek in thanks. 

 

Stories were swapped, laughs were heard, and little by little, the heaping plates of food were consumed. 

 

It was after dinner that was the best. After dinner was when the entire family curled up by the fire, and listened to Grandma Shirogane tell story after story. Despite the adults having heard each story a thousand times, it never got old. Of course, this was the time when Keith got to sit atop Shiro’s shoulders, when Allura got to sit in her husband’s lap and lean against him, with Katie in her lap. Across from the couple, Lance snuggled up with his grandpa, and Hunk happily curled up with his grandmother. 

 

Three generations sat in the room, tradition flowing through everyone of them. And as Shiro looked around at his parents, his sister, his wife, and his children, he was content with the fact that everything had come full circle. 

**Author's Note:**

> comments are greatly appreciated! 
> 
> leave a kudos if you enjoyed!
> 
> catch me on tumblr: @chai-and-coffee


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